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4.9  The fall of Hormuz to the Persians aided by the English

On the 14 December 1621 Captains Weddel and Blythe anchored at Jask with five ships and four pinnaces. Here he received a message to sail to Kuhistak, a port nearer to Gombroon, where he found Monnox and other Company factors waiting for him. The Portuguese and Persian conflict had escalated with raids by the Portuguese on the Persian coast and Persian attacks on the Portuguese fort at Kishm upon which Hormuz drew heavily for supplies. The Persians welcomed the arrival of the English fleet and a demand was made that they assist in attacking the Portuguese forts adding that a refusal to do so would result in the Persians withdrawing their rights to trade in Persia. It was left to the Company factors in Persia under Monnox to decide and they then entered into an agreement with the Persians in return for the English assistance in expelling the Portuguese.

From the 20 to the 30 January the English ships besieged the fort of Kishm which eventually surrendered and the commander Guy Freyre taken as prisoner. The English casualties were light but did include William Baffin the captain of the London who was killed by a musket shot while directing the battery that had been built on the shore.

The English then moved on to Hormuz where the city was quickly taken but the Portuguese withdrew into the fort. Siege operations began on the 9 February 1622 and the English bombarded the fortifications from the sea destroying a large number of the vessels in the port. The Persians having attacked the city set to on the fortifications with mines and assaults. The Portuguese after an initial defence of their positions and with little hope of reinforcements from Goa entered into negotiations for their survival. On receiving guarantees that their lives would be spared the fort eventually capitulated on the 23 April 1622. The following account of the final moments is taken from Portuguese records:

 

The enemy withdrew their army back to the city, leaving the ground in front of the fortress clear of the Moors; Simao de Mello then opened the gates, which had been walled up, and at nine o’clock in the morning, the Khan of Shiras was seen to be approaching together with the English General and V-Admiral, accompanied by 4 companies of English musketeers, besides many Moorish nobles and Captains. They arrived at the parade ground of the fortress, where Simao de Mello accompanied by his supporters and the remainder of his Council was awaiting them, holding the keys which he presented to the English general who took them and handed them to the Khan of Shiras with a great show of courtesy. There was a carpet spread on the parade ground, and the Khan of Shiras, the English General and V-Admiral, and other Captains, all sat down upon it.

At this moment the King of Ormuz and his Vizier made their appearance. As soon as the Khan recognised him, he got up and went towards him, and taking him by the hand, politely led him to the carpet, and sending for a velvet cushion he sat him thereon at his right-hand side, and the Vizier on his left a little further away, whilst Simao de Mello was next to the King.

After some general compliments had been exchanged, the Khan of Shiras told Simao de Mello to order his men to be ready to embark on the following day, forasmuch as he had prepared two ships and some terradas for this purpose; meanwhile he asked that Simao de Mello, the King, Vizier, and other captains, should consider themselves as his Guests until such time as they should embark.

The English General interposed by saying that he would like to be responsible for the exercise of hospitality towards the Portuguese, since it devolved upon him by reason of their both being fellow-Europeans and Christians. The Khan of Shiras being thus thwarted in his request, he turned towards the King and asked him to favour him by honouring his tent. In this manner everyone took their departure, but only those of his faction went with Simao de Mello.

Early on the next day the enemy returned to the gate of the Fortress, thro’ which they began to arch out the Portuguese with their wives, children, and slaves, all with tears in their eyes, sighing deeply because of the memories of their country, houses, and goods; all those who embarked on this day were allowed to do so unmolested. Unfortunately, however, someone went that night to the Khan, and informed him that the Portuguese and their wives were taking away with them a great quantity of pearls and diamonds; because of this, on the following day they roughly searched everyone, and the women in particular were forced to endure harsh treatment; in this manner they were all embarked with the exception of Simao de Mello and those of his following, to whom the Khan of Shiras said that he had a separate ship well supplied with provisions, ready for him to set sail in at any time he wished. He embarked his property on the same day, and they all left for Muscat, where we will leave them until their time.^[1]

 

One of the English factors in Persia, Monnox, who was in Hormuz after the surrender stated:

 

The Persians driving out the sicke, maimed, and burnt Christians that were not able to help themselves, that made my very heart to earne in my body to see it.

 

After the Portuguese had departed, the Portuguese commentary continued:

 

The Khan and his men entered the Fortress accompanied by Moorish and English clerks, who drew up an account of everything they found therein; in a narrative which was subsequently received in India it was related that the Persian found in it more than 70 million’s worth of money, goods, and cannon, besides the huge amount that the English and Persians had [previously] embezzled.

 

When he had thus taken possession of the fortress, he gave orders for the bastion to be repaired, and the moat to be cleaned out, - a thing which Sinao de Mello had never brought himself to do, and which of itself was sufficient to render the fortress impregnable.

He left in it 70 great guns and a garrison of 1,000 Persians under a Turkish Captain, and after fulfilling the terms he had made with the English, he resolved to leave for Ispahan with the rest of the captured cannon which amounted to 400 guns salved from the galleons and ships, besides falcons, and all the rest of the booty that was found within the fortress.

The King of Ormuz asked the Khan of Shiras to give him a ship, since that had been the first condition of the terms of surrender, to which he replied that he could not fulfil his request because the Sultan of Persia had written him to take His Highness and his Vizier to the Court, and he durst not disobey this command, which left him with nothing but the regret of being unable to serve him.

He therefore took with them, although before arriving at Ispahan he ordered the Vizier to be slain in Lara on the pretence that he was plotting to escape; however the real cause of the Vizier’s death was not this alleged flight, - of which he was not guilty,- but the Khan’s fear lest he should reveal to the Shah the embezzlements that he (the K.) had practised at Ormuz. The King earnestly desired the same end, however as even death itself shuns the most unhappy wretches as if reluctant to end their misery, the Khan arrived at Shiras with him, besides all the rest of the plunder which he was bringing from Ormuz; the Shah not only refused to see him but even ordered him to be placed in an iron cage, where he was sustained by the alms of those who passed by, until after the space of several years, some Moors begged his liberty of the Shah, and drew him from his confinement and gave him a house and ample income.

And such was the end of the wealthiest potentate and fortress which the Kingdom of Portugal (and all Europe) possessed from the shores of the Tagus to those of the Ganges.^[2]